Miami buried in snow after Manitoba storm

The communmity of Miami is digging out from 56 centimetres of snow that fell during Monday's storm. (Submitted by Jason Vanstone)

Snow amounts

56 cm in Miami

42 cm in Carman

38 cm in St. Alphonse

37 cm in Deerwood

33 cm in Winkler and Emerson

22 cm in Brandon and St. Claude

9 cm to 19 cm in Winnipeg

SOURCE: Environment Canada.

It's a difficult drive out there after southern Manitoba was hammered by a snowstorm that left behind as much as 56 centimetres on Monday.

The shovels are digging deepest in Miami, Man., about 100 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, where 56 cm fell.

Reeve Jason Vanstone said he can't open his deck doors because of the snow piled up against them. He says people are comparing the storm there to the 1966 blizzard, which coincidentally also happened on March 4.

"We had our crews out really early this morning trying to get things cleaned up and we've got a lot of hills and I know right now I've got two plows that are stuck, so we're scrambling to try and get them out. It's a mess," Vanstone said Tuesday morning.

Some Manitoba highways remain closed due to snowdrifts and poor conditions, including Highway 5 from the Trans-Canada to Highway 68. Highway 16, the Yellowhead, is also closed from Highway 50 to Newdale.

In the Winnipeg area, the Perimeter Highway is partly ice- and snow-covered, while streets in the city are slippery, sloppy, rutted and downright messy.

Plowing will continue throughout the day in the city and tonight until completed.

Plowing of sidewalks on main routes, bus routes, collector streets and residential streets is also underway and will continue through the week, while plowing of back lanes will begin Wednesday.

About 150 pieces of equipment will be used for this clean-up operation which the city estimates will cost about $500,000.